As Odin sleeps, Loki wears the “Odin Ring” and has taken control of Asgard with
the aid of Karnilla. He sent Durok the Demolisher—a silent, unstoppable killer
of Loki’s own design—to wreak havoc on Earth, which Thor has gone to stop. In
Asgard, Sif and Balder lament the situation, while the Warriors Three attack
Loki. Hogun hurls his mace at Loki, but Loki waves it off before it even
reaches him! Loki declares that Hogun shall be put to death for attack him, but
Sif points out that if he killed all who opposed him there would be no one left
to rule. Loki decides to humor Sif and agrees.
Meanwhile on Earth, Durok arrives at
a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans. The people think he is just wearing a
detailed costume until he begins mindlessly destroying the street corner. Thor
arrives and tries to stop Durok with a force blast from Mjolnir, but is shocked
to see that it doesn’t faze him at all. Thor soon realizes what a formidable
threat Durok presents. To protect the innocent bystanders in the area, Thor
creates a vortex and transports the people to the “limbo of space.” Thor
attacks again, but sees that Durok truly is a match for his own strength. As
the two continue to battle, Loki—watching from Asgard—grows frustrated that Thor
still lives. Using the power of the Odin Ring, Loki transports Durok to South
America.
Before pursuing
Durok, Thor returns the Mardi Gras revelers from where he had transported them
and erases their memories. However, with the crowd returned, Thor has no room
to swing Mjolnir to take flight. To the crowd’s amazement, Thor makes room by
pushing a building out of the way! While Thor has been dealing with the crowds,
Durok has been battling the army of a small country in South America. There,
the totalitarian “Presidente” declares that he wants to capture Durok to use
against rebel uprisings, but Durok proves too powerful for his forces. Thor
finally arrives and continues his fight against Durok.
Back in Asgard, Loki
tells Sif that once Thor falls, he will take care of her. Nearby, Karnilla
reminds Balder that he has taken an oath not to take arms against Loki. Balder
takes advantage of her love for him by stating that if she truly loves him, she
will use her magic to aid him. He has a plan to help Thor that will not require
him to break his oath. Karnilla agrees. Loki realizes that the two are
plotting something, but he is distracted when Fandral attacks the Storm Giant
that guards Loki. With Loki’s attention diverted, Karnilla transports Balder
and herself to Earth.
On Earth, Balder
swings his enchanted sword, which sends a signal deep into space. Elsewhere,
Thor struggles against Durok. Suddenly, a powerful storm comes between the two
of them, which Thor cannot stop with his own powers. Thor suspects powerful
forces at play, which is confirmed when an image of Loki appears before him,
holding Sif hostage. Thor threatens Loki, who mocks Thor and reminds him that
he is powerless against the Odin Ring. Then, Loki reveals that he has
transported Durok again, this time to the United Nations building. There, Loki
says, Durok will cause so much chaos that it will lead to the destruction of
mankind, and while Thor is busy protecting the Earth, Loki will make Sif his
queen. Loki’s image departs, leaving Thor feeling defeated, but determined to
continue fighting Durok. At that moment, Balder sees that his signal has been
answered: the Silver Surfer arrives!